Poly(arylene ether) resin is a type of plastic known for its excellent water resistance, dimensional stability, and inherent flame retardancy. Properties such as strength, stiffness, chemical resistance, and heat resistance can be tailored by blending it with various other plastics in order to meet the requirements of a wide variety of consumer products, for example, plumbing fixtures, electrical boxes, automotive parts, and coated wire.
Blends of poly(arylene ether) and polystyrene are known to possess improved stiffness and tensile strength relative to either component resin alone. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435 to Cizek. However, known blends of poly(arylene ether) and polystyrene do not possess the properties required for certain product applications. For example, water meter pressure plates must be quite thin (typically about 1 to 2 millimeters thick) yet strong enough to withstand substantial pressure differentials and also very dimensionally stable. They can also have complex shapes that can only be molded with a high-flow composition. This combination of properties not exhibited by known poly(arylene ether)/polystyrene blends. Accordingly, there is a need for poly(arylene ether)/polystyrene blends that exhibit an improved balance of stiffness, tensile, and melt flow properties.